Apparatus for separating oil from oil sands



Sept. 16. WM

N. s. CLARKE APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OIL FROM OIL SANDS Filed July 5.1923 2 Sheets-Sham Jwmruw MUHULEfi-EFLME.

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APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OIL FROM OIL SANDS 2 sheets-Sham 3 Filed July1923 Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

NICHOLAS SHOULDICE CLARKE, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO ATHABASCA OILPRODUCTS LIMITED, OF EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA.

I APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OIL FROM OIL SANDS.

' Application filed July 5, 1923. Serial No. 649,758.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS SHoULnron CLARKE, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and resident of the city of New York, in the State of NewYork, United States of America, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Separating Oil from Oil Sands, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the separatingof oil from oil sands, and other material in which it is found; and theobjects of the invention are to provide a simple and economicalapparatus capable of operation under commercial conditions which willenable a maximum amount of oil and other products to be recovered fromthe material treated.

Further objects of the invention are to provide such an apparatus aswill be automatic in its operation, and may be adjusted in its operatingdetails to suit the character of the oil sands or other material beingtreated.

Further objects still are to provide simple and efl'ective means forcausing the disintegration of the sand and the separation therefrom ofthe crude oil and bituminous prod ucts.

Further objects are generally to improve and simplify the apparatus toenable the results hereinafter described to be obtained.

In carrying out my improved apparatus,

the oil sands are first passed through a vertical treating chamber inwhich partial disintegration is caused to take place by the treatment ofthe sand with a mixture of superheated steam and a suitable gas, thenpassed to a separating tank in which a further disintegration andmaceration takes place through the action of a plurality of rotarysprays, the greater flow being controlled by suitable control gates.Following this, the volatile product and oil separated at this st e ofthe process are separately recovered arid treated in any desired way torecover the ultimate product in the form desired, and the residual bodyis conveyed away for further treatment by dehydration, or otherwise, ashereinafter more fully set forth and described in the drawings andspecification.

The drawings show the preferred form of apparatus for carrying out theprocess referred to.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing an embodiment of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken through the separatingtank. Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, showing the upper part of thefirst treating cham- In' the drawings like characters of referenceindlcate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings:

A indicates the first treating chamber, or

stack, or bin, into which the oil sand or other material to be treatedis first fed, and B, the separating chamber connected therewith fromwhich the conveyer leads.

The treating chamber A is in the form of a stack having a steam jacket10, and being preferably arranged vertically of suflicient height toenable the sand being treated to be substantially softened anddisintegated during its passage therethrough, the softenmg anddisintegrating process being augmented by means. of a spray introducedthrough a plurality of transversely extending supply pipes 11 throughwhich steam is introduced.

The steam is preferably superheated and mixed with a hydrocarbon as suchfor example as that produced by distillation of the oil during theoperation of the process. The pressure may be from eighty pounds or moreto correspond with the design of the apparatus. In this way a highlysaturated gaseous mixture is produced which is very effective inseparating the oil. I

The upper part of the chamber A is formed with a hopper 12 into whichthe material is fed, and the'lowerzpart is formed with a tapered portion13 which reduces the rate of flow of the material and feeds it through arestricted treating! passage or neck 14. The sides of the taperedportion 13 and the neck 14 are provided with a plurality of nozzles 15through which steam or steam and a gas is injected into the mixture.

A suitable outlet- 16 is formed in the bottom of the passage 14 fromwhich: the material passes into the separating tank B, the opening-beingcontrolled by a suitable sliding gate 17 of any convenient design, the

bottom of the package 14 being provided with an inclined portion orchute 18 discharging through the oiening 16.

The treating chamber is provided with an inclined bottom 19 along whichthe material is passed by the action of gravity assisted by the actionof a plurality of rotary spray nozzles 20 of any convenient designlocated in the sepearating tank between vertically slidable gates 21.These rotary spray nozzles are designed to rotate about a vertical axis,the rotation being eii'ected from the discharge of steam or waterthrough the nozzles in the usual way.

The control of the flow is effected by the gates 21 which are raisedvertically by convenient means as by the pinions 22 engaging racks 23 onthe gates. The pinions 22 are mounted on suitable shafts 2a and rotatedby any convenient means.

The gate 17 is conveniently raised and lowered by a similar rack andpinion arrangement including a pinion 25 engaging a rack 26 on the gate,the pinion being mounted on the shaft 27 which is rotated by suitablemeans. A steam jacket 28 may be provided about the chamber '13.

29 indicates the cover for the chamber from which a volatile product maybe withdrawn through outlets 30, the oil free during this part of theprocess passing out through the outlet 31. The cover 29 may be providedon its tapered sides with a plurality of inspection windows 32.

To prevent the spray from the nozzles 20 interfering with the passage ofthe material beneath the gates 21, flanges or aprons 33 may be providedon the lower edge of the gate turned laterally in the direction of flow,and a plurality of spray nozzles 3 may be provided in advance of theopening beneath the bottom of each gate and the bottom of the tank so asto facilitate the passage of material beneath the gate.

The solid material finally passes out of the separating tank through asuitable outlet 35 controlled by a sliding gate 36 of the same designedas the gates already described. The material passing through the outlet31 passes on a suitable drying conveyer C of man convenient design fromwhich the material is conveyed to a point at which suitable apparatus isprovided for further treatment by Way of dehydration and ultimatedistillation.

A water level is maintained in the treating tank B at about the upperlevel of the gates 21.

In practising the invention or process, the raw material, which may forinstance be the oil sand such as found in the northern part of Alberta,Canada, is fed into the upper part of the first treating chamber A. Thistreating chamber is relatively high as for instance thirty or fortyfeet.

During the passing through this chamber accesses chamber B, the oil willrise to the surface of the water therein, and in addition the oilencountering the water will force some of the water into steam andassist the disintegration process. The material at this stage beingforced with the Water introduced into the spray nozzles 20 should be Irelatively fluid and flow freely through the separating chamber B, theoil and asp-halt continuously rising and being drawn out through theoutlet 31, while any vaporous products such as hydro carbon gases willbe drawn through the outlets 30.

The sand freed from oil, and asphalt, passes out through the outlet 35.The oil and asphalt passing oil through the outlet 31 may be furthertreated as Well known in the art, to recover a variety of products.

It will beseen that the material may be continuously fed through theapparatus, and during such operation will receive the neces sarytreatment to disintegrate and separate the various constituents of theoil sands to enable them to be ultimately recovered in suitable form;for commercial use.

The apparatus is simply constructed and easy to operate, and may bereadily transported to any location where it is desired to treat thesands.

As many changes could be made in the above process and many apparentlywidely different embodiments of my invention within the scope of theclaims, constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof,it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanyingspecification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a separating tank having aninclined bottom and a plurality of adjustably sliding gates to controlthe passage of material therethrough, and a plurality of rolt)ary spraypipes in the said treating cham- 2. ln apparatus of the characterdescribed, a separating tank having an inclined bottom and a pluralityof adjustably sliding gates to control the passage of materialtherethrough, and a plurality of retary spray pipes in the said treatingchamher, the said spray pipes being located between the gates.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a separating tank havinga slidable controlling gate therein, and a spray nozzle designed todischarge between the bottom of the gate and thebottom of the tank.

4. In an apparaus of the character described, a separating tank having aslidable controlling gate therein, a spray nozzle designed to dischargebetween the bottom of the gate and the bottom of the tank, and a rotaryspray nozzle in advance of the gate.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a relatively longand narrow vertically extending treating chamber having a taperedbottom, a treating neck leading from the tapered bottom, spray pipes inthe treating chamber, a plurality of nozzles in the treating neck, and aseparating chamber connected to the bottom of the treating neck havingmeans for controlling the passage of flow therethrough, and means formixing the material passing throu h the separating tank with a liquid.

6. in apparatus of the character described comprising a verticallyextending stack, means for spraying the material passing therethrough, aseparating tank connected to the bottom of the stack, means for causingthe material to pass therethrough, controlling gates in the separatingtank, and spray nozzles between the said controlling gates.

7. An apparatus of the character described comprising a verticallyextending stack, means for spraying the material passing therethrough, aseparating tank connected to the bottom of the stack, means for causingthe material to pass therethrough, controlling gates in the separatingtank, and spray nozzles between the said controlling gates, and acontinuous conveyer leading from the separating tank.

h In witness whereof I have hereunto set my and.

NICHOLAS SHOULDICE CLARKE.

